Curtain rod and support therefor



April 5, 1955 L. D. FORD ET AL 2,705,566

CURTAIN ROD AND SUPPORT THEREFOR Filed Oct. 23, 1951 i 1/ HZI/ENTORS 1'LEDGER D. F0520 BY RALPH E. BELL ATroRNEvs United States Patent2,705,566 CURTAIN ROD AND SUPPORT THEREFOR Ledger D. Ford and Ralph E.Bell, Sturgis, Mich., assignors to Kirsh Company, Sturgis, Mich., acorporation of Michigan Application October 23, 1951, Serial No. 252,7262 Claims. (Cl. 211105.1)

This invention relates to curtain rods and particularly to curtain rodswhich are formed as channels with flanges to receive slides forsupporting curtains or drapes and generally used in connection withtraverse equipment.

Heretofore such curtain rods have generally had a C-shaped cross sectionand it has been necessary to provide suporting brackets or centersupports for such curtain rods even though they were located in closeproximity to a ceiling, although in some instances the curtain rods wereinstalled by facing the channel thereof downwardly and by insertingattaching screws through the wall opposite the opening of the channel.If the first method of attachment were employed and the curtain rod hadany length it was necessary to provide a center support which had tocome out over the rod and extend down past the face of the rod and underthe rod to provide support without interfering with the passage of thecurtain or drape supporting slides along the rod. If the rod were usedin the second manner for ceiling installation, it was sometimesdiflicult to insert the screws and many times the edges of the rodadjacent the screws were marred or darnlaged in installation so that theslides would not slide easi y.

The present invention has for an object the provision of a new andimproved curtain rod particularly adapted for slidably supportingcurtains or drapes and particularly adapted for the use of traverseequipment. Another object is the provision of such a rod which does notrequire special center supports where long flights of rodare required tospan the space to be treated by curtains or drapes. Another object is toprovide a curtain rod which can be easily and simply attached to aceiling, eliminating the necessity for any supporting brackets andproviding a smooth, inconspicuous but adequate support for curtains ordrapes. Another object is to provide such a rod with a suitable simplesupporting bracket which can be adjusted and can serve both as an endbracket and as a center support. Another object is to provide such a rodmade of a single piece of sheet metal and having a reinforcing andattaching rib extending rearwardly therefrom and provided with suitableapertures to receive supporting hardware. Another object is to providesuch a rod which can be made inexpensively and easily. Further objectsand advantages of the invention will be apparent from a consideration ofthe invention which is described in the following specification andshown in the accompanying drawings in which I Fig. 1 is a perspectiveview of a section of rod embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of such a rod showing one means of supportingit;

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the rod shown in Fig. Z takenpartly in section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a view showing in cross section another means of fastening therod in position.

The rod which is shown generally at 1 is formed of a single strip ofsheet metal which is folded at 2 along a longitudinal line to providetwo sections 3 and 4 which are of unequal width, the narrower section 3lying below the section 4 and being in face-to-face relationshipthereto. These sections form a rearwardly-extending rib 5 and a flat top6 which lie in a common plane.

Extending downwardly from the free edge 7 of the section 3 and at thejunction of the rib 5 and the flat top 6 is a rear wall section 8.Extending downwardly from the free edge 9 of the wider section 4 is afront wall section 10, which is bent back on a curve as shown at 11 andback up toward the wall section 8 with the free edge 12 of the wallsection lying in spaced relationship to and The slides 14 for supportingcurtains or drapes slide 1 between the wall sections 8 and 10 as shownin Fig. 4 in a conventional manner.

The curtain rod may be supported by a suitable bracket such as thoseshown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. Such a bracket consists of a piece 15 whichis held on a wall by attaching screws 16 and which has aforwardly-extending channel member 17 in which a flat arm 18 is slidablydisposed and held by a screw 19 which slides in a slot 20 for adjustmenttoward and away from the wall. At the free end of the flat arm 18 is anaperture 21 which is screw threaded to receive a machine screw 22 forattaching the curtain rod. The free end of the flat arm 18 engages theattaching rib and provides a fiat connection which is not visible fromthe front of the rod when it is attached.

It will be noted that the attaching brackets can be used at the ends ofthe rod or can be used as center supporting members wherever the span ofthe rod is such that a center support is desired.

The rod may also be attached directly to the ceiling as shown in Fig. 5.There the rod 1 is placed with its flat top 6 and attaching rib 5directly against the ceiling and attaching screws 23 extend through theopenings 13 into the ceiling which is designated at 24. When such anattachment is made the rod blends into the ceiling and is mostinconspicuous.

The curtain rod and brackets described above constitute the preferredform of the invention. They are shown and described by way ofillustration and Without any intention of limiting the invention otherthan as set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A curtain rod comprising a single rectangular strip of sheet metalbent to form a substantially flat horizontal top wall and asubstantially flat vertical front wall, a bottom wall extendingrearwardly from the bottom of the front wall to a substantially flatvertical rear wall and at the rear only a flat, rearwardly-extendinghorizontal attaching stiffening flange extending for the full length ofthe rod and formed of a fold of the sheet metal extending rearwardly inthe plane of the top wall and comprising horizontal sections of thesheet metal in contiguous faceto-face relationship, the edge portions ofthe sheet metal strip forming spaced-apart upper and lower rear wallsections bordering a slot with the edges of the strip forming the edgesof said slot and vertically opening apertures in said flange adapted toreceive attaching means and a supporting bracket having a horizontalflat terminal extension lying against and engaging said flange inface-toface relationship and attaching means engaging said extension andsaid flange to fasten the rod to the bracket.

2. A curtain rod comprising a single rectangular strip of sheet metalbent to form a substantially fiat horizontal top wall and asubstantially fiat vertical front wall, a bottom wall extendingrearwardly from the bottom of the front wall to a substantially flatvertical rear wall and at the rear only a fiat rearwardly-extendinghorizontal attaching stiffening flange extending for the full length ofthe rod and formed of a fold of the sheet metal extending rearwardly inthe plane of the top wall and comprising horizontal sections of thesheet metal in contiguous faceto-face relationship, the edge portions ofthe sheet metal strip forming spaced-apart upper and lower rear wallsections bordering a slot with the edges of the strip forming the edgesof said slot and vertically opening apertures in said flange adapted toreceive attachingmieans.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS838,867 Lalus Dec. 18, 1906 1,764,891 Sarkisian June 17, 1930 2,321,196Graber June 8, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS 300,028 Italy Aug. 26, 1932 342,089Great Britain Jan. 29, 1931 146,227 Switzerland July 1, 1931 178,487Switzerland July 31, 1935

